I Want, Stop Lights OFF - When Exhaust Brake is ON...!!!!

[SLS]

Has anyone figured a work-around or mod that Will Not turn on brake lights when the exhaust brake is on?

Please don't post on this thread a bunch of legal advice, comments or opinions on if you like it or not.

I want my brake lights OFF when my exhaust brake is ON.

Thanks,

2017 FL XCR Chassis DSDP 4326

SLS

[palehorse89]

Not sure how Freightliner does it, but look around in the fuse panel around the fuse for the exhaust brake and see if you see a mini fuse with a Diode symbol on it. On my older Spartan pulling that fuse accomplished what you are want to do. Hope this helps, and if not a call to Freightliner might help you out. I called Spartan to find out years back.

[SLS]

Originally Posted by palehorse89

Not sure how Freightliner does it, but look around in the fuse panel around the fuse for the exhaust brake and see if you see a mini fuse with a Diode symbol on it. On my older Spartan pulling that fuse accomplished what you are want to do. Hope this helps, and if not a call to Freightliner might help you out. I called Spartan to find out years back.

Thanks. I will look for a fuse with diode.
I did call FL just after I picked up coach and could see brake lights ON out my rear camera. They said it was in the ECM and could not be changed.
I am hoping someone has figured a work-around. I live on west coast and have several passes (downgrades) that it looks like I ride my brakes all the way down the hill.

Thanks again,

SLS

[Ljwt330]

Originally Posted by SLS

Thanks. I will look for a fuse with diode.
I did call FL just after I picked up coach and could see brake lights ON out my rear camera. They said it was in the ECM and could not be changed.
I am hoping someone has figured a work-around. I live on west coast and have several passes (downgrades) that it looks like I ride my brakes all the way down the hill.

Thanks again,

SLS

Just curious, from your last post it seems that the appearance that you're riding your brakes is the only reason why you want to disable the brake lights. Is that correct?

[Jon_C]

On my 98 with xc chassis the wiring diagram shows where the exhaust brake injects power to the stop lights thru a diode. Its the wire right in middle of the picture. You can get wiring diagram from freightliner to verify yours is same. Then just need to cut that wire but tracing and finding it will be the problem. I suspect its in rear of coach by the relays.

The mod i want to make is to not have my electric trailer brakes activate with the exhaust brake. Luckily there is a service brake relay that i can use to activate the brake controller instead of using the stop light switch but have yet to do it.

[Jon_C]

Originally Posted by SLS

Thanks. I will look for a fuse with diode.
I did call FL just after I picked up coach and could see brake lights ON out my rear camera. They said it was in the ECM and could not be changed.
I am hoping someone has figured a work-around. I live on west coast and have several passes (downgrades) that it looks like I ride my brakes all the way down the hill.

Thanks again,

SLS

On mine pulling the fuse also disables the exhaust brake so that may or may not work for you. If you can get a wiring diagram it will be easy to know what to do.

[Winepress]

I got lectured at a truck stop while I was getting fuel. Had a trucker come over and said I was going to burn my brakes up coming down a hill. I told him my brakes light are activated when I use the exhaust brake. I don’t think he believed me as he just shook his head and walked away. Kinda makes you look stupid running your brake lights all the way down a hill. Looks simple, following to see the solution.

[Rotten-Red]

Originally Posted by SLS

Thanks. I will look for a fuse with diode.
I did call FL just after I picked up coach and could see brake lights ON out my rear camera. They said it was in the ECM and could not be changed.
I am hoping someone has figured a work-around. I live on west coast and have several passes (downgrades) that it looks like I ride my brakes all the way down the hill.

Thanks again,

SLS

I believe I've seen posts here that did say it's controlled through the ECM and that Cummins can turn the stop lights off. I'd give Cummins a call.


Stop lights are not required with exhaust or compression brakes. Class 8 trucks (semi tractors) have the stop lights turned off.


I turned my stop lights off but not though the ECM. I modified my exhaust brake so that I have total control of when I want it on and what gear I want the transmission in. I can use my exhaust brake in any of 6 gears at my discretion.

[Jon_C]

Originally Posted by Winepress

I got lectured at a truck stop while I was getting fuel. Had a trucker come over and said I was going to burn my brakes up coming down a hill. I told him my brakes light are activated when I use the exhaust brake. I don’t think he believed me as he just shook his head and walked away. Kinda makes you look stupid running your brake lights all the way down a hill. Looks simple, following to see the solution.

I agree it looks like riding brakes going down mountain but i use my exhaust brake all the time and most of the time i only hit service brakes at last second to make coach come to complete stop so I definitely need the lights on with the brake.

[Mr.Mark]

Our previous coach with the exhaust brake activated the brake lights, which I liked. I WANT people to see that we are slowing down.

Our current coach has a six speed retarder which does not activate the brake lights.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about someone 'thinking' I'm riding my brakes. I think it's more important to alert someone that you are slowing down so that you won't be rear-ended.

If we are going slow down or up a hill, I will turn on the flashers to indicate my slow speed like the trucks do.

Safe travels,
Mark

[TJ]

Cummins is the place to go for this. I know the ECM can be programmed so that the brake lights don't come on when the exhaust brake is activated. That's the way our 2018 MADP operates.

It may be a difference in the way Cummins programs the ECM for a FL chassis setup vs Spartan. We're on a Spartan with "Safe Haul" that activates the SMI AF1 braking system on the towed. The coach brake lights are tied together with the towed and only illuminate when the service brakes are applied. I installed a LED indicator on the coach dash to show when the brake lights are on.

On our previous coach, a 2014 Ventana LE on a FL chassis, the brake lights did come on when the exhaust brake activated. Since the SMI Stay N Play supplemental braking system we used on that coach was activated by the coach brake light circuit, our towed brakes were applied by the exhaust brake.

I found that just a slight pressure on the throttle would extinguish the brake lights without disengaging the exhaust brake. Again, I had an indicator LED on the dash to monitor brake light (and, in this case, towed braking) activity.

Until you get the ECM reprogrammed, you might try the slight pressure on the throttle solution.

TJ

[Jon_C]

Originally Posted by Mr.Mark

Our previous coach with the exhaust brake activated the brake lights, which I liked. I WANT people to see that we are slowing down.

Our current coach has a six speed retarder which does not activate the brake lights.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about someone 'thinking' I'm riding my brakes. I think it's more important to alert someone that you are slowing down so that you won't be rear-ended.

If we are going slow down or up a hill, I will turn on the flashers to indicate my slow speed like the trucks do.

Safe travels,
Mark

Agreed!!

[TJ]

If you're concerned about being rear-ended when descending a grade with the exhaust/engine brake activated, do what the truckers do; activate your emergency flashers. Simple solution.

Personally, I'm not worried about that aspect of exhaust/engine brake use as it just keeps me at a safe travel speed. Highly unlikely that the speed difference between our coach and other vehicles on the road would be sufficiently different as to pose a collision hazard.

TJ

[htmac007]

Does using the exhaust brake activate braking on the TOAD? Or just the lights?